I’ve seen and reviewed thousands of resumes during my time as an HR assistant and it always amazes me how often applicants make the same mistakes over and over again. There is a science behind creating a successful resume. You could be the most amazing and talented employee but we might never get to find that out based on a less-than-stellar first impression. Before you send your resume to the next company on your list of dream employers, answer the following questions and check out the tips on how to write a successful resume below.

1. Does the top one-third of your resume give me all the information I need?

Remember that many job openings garner hundreds of responses. Part of my job is to look at all the resumes and forward the promising ones to the HR manager. This means I have to make split-second decisions. On the first pass, your entire resume isn’t going to be carefully read; I only have time to skim it. In fact, research shows that assistants like me generally spend just a few seconds looking at the top one-third of your resume. This area should make clear the star that you are. Include a summary statement at the top of your resume, followed by a list of your skills. The most successful resumes make my job easier by giving me all the relevant information as soon as I open the page.

2. Are you showing me the numbers to prove your worth?

Many applicants write unconvincing and vague bullet points like the following:

Responsible for management duties

Created internal database for inventory

Increased click-through rate

Negotiated with vendors to lower costs

This is telling me that anyone, literally anyone could have done your job. So why should I hire you? How are you going to help our company? most successful resumes quantify the accomplishments of the applicant and use numbers in the resume wherever possible, like this:

Whenever you have the opportunity to show that your contributions to your company translated to real money, write the dollar amount on your resume.

3. Is your resume professional or are you trying too hard to be cute?

I’ve seen more fonts than I care to and more heart-shaped bullet points than any person should have to see. Unless you’re applying for a creative job, your resume should contain only text, numbers, and bullet points. Leave plenty of white spaces to make the reading easier. Don’t use any fancy fonts—keep it simple with Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial, or Cambria to play it safe. Each font for resume says something about you and the type of work you’re likely to bring to your company.

4. Did you proofread your resume?

After I’ve done the first pass on resumes, I’ll print out a stack of the ones I think might be the most valuable. It’s at that point that I read each resume carefully and if I see one misspelt word, one double space that should have been a single space, or an underline that went one space further than it should, I will toss the resume into the recycling bin. Bringing forth perfection is not expected every day but on the resume, it definitely is. Writing a successful resume is only the first step of the resume process; your resume needs to be proofread, read aloud, and then given to at least one other person to carefully read to ensure there aren’t little errors that will turn into landmines when they hit the HR assistant’s desk.

5. Have you removed your references and other extraneous information from your resume?

Most HR experts agree that removing your referees from your resume is a safe bet. There are many reasons to avoid listing your resumes, but most importantly, these references can be given later, after your interview. Please don’t include the line “References available upon request.” This is antiquated and is one of the phrases you should never use on your resume. It’s a sure to get your resume thrown promptly into the trash.

Writing a successful resume, one that will impress an HR gatekeeper like me, is easier than you think it is. When I’m looking through the stacks of resumes, I’m looking with a critical eye, but I’m also rooting for you. Nothing makes me sadder than having to toss an otherwise-promising resume because it doesn’t give me a reason to keep it. Give me a reason to want to pass your resume along to the hiring manager. Give me a reason to call you!

As reported here, as many as one third of Australian youth, where youth is defined as those between 15 and 24, are unemployed or underemployed. This is the highest rate of combined unemployment and underemployment among this segment of the population for over 40 years which suggests that young adults are facing an unusually tough labour market. These trends are concerning because evidence suggests that unemployment during one’s youth can have negative effects on a number of important outcomes, including income levels both now and into one’s future, as well as physical and mental health levels (see, for example, here and here).

With so many young adults finding limited or no work, it is important to understand what are the causes of youth unemployment and what are some potential solutions. Here, we present three of the primary causes for the recent rise in youth unemployment and suggest some strategies to solve unemployment.

1.A lack of marketable skills

Many young adults today have not had opportunities to work as interns or apprentices and have not been able to learn the necessary skills to help them stand out in the current competitive labour market. Without training and work experience, it can be very difficult to find any type of work, and it can be nearly impossible to find work that will lead to a stable and fulfilling career.

Of course, the most obvious solution to this problem is for young adults to gain more training and work experience however possible. Well-designed training programs, like the Ready for Work program at yourtown , are effective ways to begin gaining skills that one can use to gain and keep a job. These programs provide training in basic skills that are in high demand, as well as information on how to find and keep work in a number of different career paths.

2.A lack of a professional network

Another key problem for many young adults is that they do not have a well-developed professional network that can be relied on to give referrals for open positions. The easiest way to find work is through personal contacts. However, professional contacts are most often made in early-career internships, apprenticeships, and other work. Making that first step into the professional world is often the most difficult.

The training program at yourtown helps young adults take that first step into the professional world by providing workshops with local employers, industry visits and work experience placements. The connections that someone makes while going through the program at yourtown will serve her or him well throughout an entire career.

3.Limited information on how to find and keep work

A final major issue for young adults is that many have not been provided with the necessary information to find and keep work. The labour market can be an overwhelming place for those who have never been able to find steady work. Often, someone just needs to be trained in a few skills and pointed in the right direction.

In addition to finding and being hired for a suitable position, it is important to know how to keep a job once hired. Retaining work requires a knowledge of the behaviours that employers value and expect to see from their workers. In the Ready for Work program at yourtown, young adults are given individualized training on how to be valued by an employer once hired, and after the program is completed a post-placement support system is in place to help trainees stay employed.

The youth unemployment problem is an important one for Australia to solve. At yourtown we are committed to helping young people learn about the variety of employment options open to them and providing them with the skills necessary to have a rewarding career.

What is Restaurant Management?

Restaurant management can be a very rewarding and lucrative profession. A career choice in restaurant managements can also be a very demanding field, requiring a mastery of organization, management, and leadership skills, and the role of a manager is often a tiring and thankless job.

Restaurant managers face challenges such as fuming patrons and peculiar chefs to manage. A wait staff that miss their shifts and food orders that can be delivered to the wrong person, be prepared improperly, or go missing altogether, all of which the manager holds accountability to the owner of the restaurant, chain manager, and any higher management, at the same time trying to have a great guest service culture. Long hours are all but required, and almost always mean overtime.

All these negative aspects may seem intimidating but indeed, restaurant management comes with many incredible rewards as well. Seeing diners truly enjoy a meal, solving shift problems for the waiters, and the approval of the proprietor are all personally satisfying aspects of this career.

How Much does a Restaurant Manager Make?

Stress and satisfaction aside, restaurant managers will find their work well compensated. The median income for a restaurant manager, on average, is $55,000, with some making above $65,000. Given the opportunity to work anywhere, from cosmopolitan cities to sleepy rural towns, with celebrity chefs or the hometown grill cook, restaurant managers are some of the most satisfied members of the workforce.

Restaurant Management Tips

Restaurant management, however, is not an easy job. Sometimes the workload can become too much, and sometimes one may feel ill-equipped to deal with various problems that arise. In this situation, it’s best to take a step back and realize that you may need further training to advance your career and improve your work performance. Thankfully, many education programs exist to teach you how to advance your career.

Restaurant Management Degree

In years past, a degree in hospitality was not completely necessary to follow a career in restaurant management. However, in our modern competitive world, most positions require some form of postsecondary education, whether that be in the form of a 2- or 4-year degree, a certificate of completion, etc.

The good news is that there are many institutions with programs available to help you advance your career. The following are some of the most widely recognized programs to help advance your career as a restaurant manager.

One of the most basic things required to become a restaurant manager is to obtain a food handler’s certificate. All employees working with food need to know the essential skills taught in this certificate program.

The RMLV Course

The RMLV course covers all the topics required of all managers. It offers a one-day educational experience that teaches you how to manage a business properly and is required in Queensland to receive an approved manager’s license or when applying a job at a bar. You will receive a certificate of completion that needs to be renewed every three years.

A one-year diploma that is nationally recognized is a quick way to advance your career. Choose from the best online courses and helps to expand and develop the topics covered in the RMLV course. You will learn from professionals in the industry and be trained in such areas as communication, food and beverage management, and sales and marketing.

A Bachelor’s Degree

If you are looking for a bachelor’s degree, a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management can open the door to many opportunities. This 4-year degree will teach you everything you’ll need to know and can help you expand your career in other areas of hospitality, such as hotel, tourism, and even event management.

One can also benefit from a 2-year bachelor of business. This degree gives you the skills needed to advance your career or even start your own restaurant. A degree of this nature also usually offers work experience, which is invaluable when seeking a job.

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